Rubber mat



May 26, 1942.

RUBBER MAT Filed Jan. 31, 1941 @QQQQ 1.. M. OAKLEY 2,284,494

Patented May 26, 1942 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUBBER MATApplication January 31, 1941, Serial No. 376,813

3 Claims.

This invention relates to rubber mats intended primarily for kitchen useas sink mats and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mat which combinesseveral useful features, including, reversibility-that is, the mat maybe used either side up, non-slip surfaces, good drainage, and attractiveappearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes ofillustration is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view, and

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the mat comprises a medial web I extendingthroughout the area of the mat, on which are formed a multiplicity ofsupporting elements 2. In the embodiment illustrated said elements arein the form of short truncated cones, and are preferably arranged inopposed pairs, one element projecting upwardly, and the other projectingdownwardly from the web I, so that the pair of elements provides a solidsupport to an article placed on the mat.

Around the edge of the mat, the web I is thickened somewhat to providea. peripheral rim 3 which not only serves to strengthen the outer edgeof the web, but also improves the appearance of the mat as a whole.however, that the thickness of the rim is less than the thickness of apair of the opposed supporting elements. In order to support the rim,therefore, a plurality of spaced lugs 4 are formed on the upper andlower surfaces of the rim, the height of the lugs being substantiallyequal to the height of the supporting elements, so that the supportingsurfaces of the lugs lie in substantially the same plane as thesupporting surfaces of the supporting elements.

In order to permit drainage, the web I is provided with a large numberof perforations 5 arranged at suitable intervals between the supportingelements, and due to the previously described structural features of themat, the water which drains through said perforations can flow freelyaway from the mat. Thus, since the web I is held away from thesupporting sink surface by the supporting elements, spaces or channelsare pro- It will be noted,

vided between the supporting elements for the free flow of water.Furthermore the spaced lugs 4 support the rim and provide spaces for theegress of water from beneath the mat. Without such lugs the rim wouldtend to sag downwardly to trap the water within the confines of the mat.

It will be understood that the invention may be variously modified andembodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A reversible rubber mat comprising, a medial web, spaced supportingelements of solid rubber in the form of short truncated cones projectingupwardly and downwardly from said web, a rim around the marginal edgesof said web, said rim being thicker than the web, but of less thicknessthan that of a pair of said supporting elements, and spaced lugsprojecting upwardly and downwardly from said rim, the supportingsurfaces of said lugs lying substantially in the same plane as thesupporting surfaces of said supporting elements.

2. A reversible rubber mat comprising, a medial web, spaced supportingelements of solid rubber in the form of short truncated cones projectingupwardly and downwardly from said web, said web being provided withspaced apertures interspersed between said supporting elements, a rimaround the marginal edges of said web, said rim being thicker than theweb, but of less thickness than that of a pair of said supportingelements, and spaced lugs projecting upwardly and downwardly from saidrim, the supporting surfaces of said lugs lying substantially in thesame plane as the supporting surfaces of said supporting elements.

3. A reversible rubber mat comprising, a medial web, spaced supportingelements of solid rubber projecting upwardly and downwardly from saidweb, said upwardly projecting elements being aligned with saiddownwardly projecting elements and symmetrical therewith, a rim aroundthe marginal edges of said web, said rim being thicker than the web, butof less thickness than that of a pair of said supporting elements, and

spaced lugs projecting upwardly and downwardly from said rim, thesupporting surfaces of said lugs lying substantially in the same planeas the supporting surfaces of said supporting elements,

LAURENCE M. OAKLEYi

